WP JD Schickerling gets feeling back in legs after breaking is neck

Young Western Province U21 lock JD Schickerling told his WP captain on Sunday that he will play rugby again after breaking his neck in their match against the Blue Bulls on Saturday at Loftus.

“It’s one of those things that happen in the game” Schickerling told his WP U21 Captain Eital Bredenkamp from his hospital bed at Little Company of Mary in Pretoria.

Bredenkamp told Die Burger newspaper that he and the whole team are relieved that JD is alright

Schickerling started to get feeling back in his arms and legs and his family are happy that the worst is over for now.

WP Senior couch Allister Coetzee said that he will receive all the help he need from Western Province.

JD got injured in the fourth minute of the game when he jumped to catch a kick off and Blue Bulls lock Irne Herbst collided with his shoulder on JD’s head.

Thereafter the Blue Bulls other lock Marvin Orie had JD in a head grip to bring him down to the ground.

JD had an operation on Saturday and should have a few more in the coming weeks.

Western Province have asked the match officials to have a look at the incident although they are not accusing anybody of dirty play, WP U21 coach James Dobson confirmed that they have asked the officials to look at the incident, “We were not happy about the incident and pointed the incident out to the match officials. I am disappointed that the incident had to be reported by our captain and team doctor and was not handled on the field”

JD played for the SA U20 side in the Junior World Cup.

“He is a good player and have the ability to play Springbok one day,” Dobson said.

Not having seen the game, it is difficult to understand the above. One of the Bulls locks collides with JD’s head while he is jumping to receive a kickoff ball and then the other lock applies a head grip to bring him to the ground. At least one if not both of these incidents seems to have happened in the air while receiving the ball and is penalisable, surely? Did the ref not even award a penalty?

The neck injury is bad news for a promising player (get well soon JD) and a blow to every father trying to convince his wife that it is ok for their son to play rugby. Reckless play like this must be stamped out and the full letter of the law applied to culprits infringing on what is acceptable in rugby.

@out wide: Also did not see the game, what I can gather he went up for the ball, he was hit in the head with the shoulder when he was back on the ground and then wrestle to the ground with a neck grip by the other lock.

Good luck to the kid – hope he gets back to playing rugby – his older brother was in matric with me and his parents and him actually lived next to us in Calvinia – and when they moved my parents bought their house.